From Waste to Resource: Hydrometallurgical Solutions for the Green Transition

In July, Benjamin Wilson (Aalto University) was invited to give a presentation at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at the Technical University of Eindhoven, Netherlands.

His presentation, entitled "Recycling of Batteries: Environmental and Circular Economic Aspects", included results on the hydrometallurgical treatment of battery waste and explored the important role recycling plays in making the Green Transition more sustainable. The 45-minute talk was followed by a 15-minute Q&A session that allowed for deeper discussion. Topics of particular interest included the potential use of modelling as a tool to determine process conditions for different black mass waste chemistries — an approach demonstrated by the RESPECT project — as well as “Five Things Everyone Should Know About the Materials Powering the Green Transition”.

The talk emphasised the importance of critical metal resources for the Green Transition and the need to utilise spent battery waste as efficiently as possible. In particular, the work of the RESPECT project (WP3: Innovative and low environmental impact Hydrometallurgy) was highlighted as an example of the achievable metal recovery rates in battery recycling, compared to the targets set by the new EU Battery Directive, as well as the remaining challenges in maximising the potential of black mass from spent batteries.

As an invited academic talk, the audience included a cross-section of academics working in electrochemistry, catalysis, and green technologies, spanning various career stages—from Master’s and Doctoral researchers to Postdoctoral fellows—as well as several senior faculty members.